could have been
by savedbybelle
Summary: Our relationship was easy. I felt so close to you in such a short amount of time. It felt like things were too good to be true. [Dani writes Santana a letter. Post-100.]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry if you were following my other story hold onto me, starcrossed lover. After everything that's happened on the show I've decided that I'm leaving the fandom and so I won't be updating that fic at all.**

**This is my last hurrah for the Glee fandom, a two part story told from Dani's point of view. I'll be posting the second chapter sometime in the next few days, but most likely on Thursday/Friday.**

**(For anyone confused about the formatting, it's a section of the letter followed by an event.)**

**I hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

Every day for the past three years, I've been the only one looking out for me. Ever since the day my parents caught me with that girl in their basement, I knew the only person who would ever have my back was me. So I set out for New York, naïve and hopeful, chasing a pipe dream that had less than a one percent chance of working out.

* * *

"Now approaching New York Penn Station," the announcer on the speaker crackled. The train screeched to a halt and jolted each of its passengers awake. Eighteen year old Danielle Torres yawned as she stretched her arms over her head. How long had she been on this train? The three hours from Baltimore seemed longer than usual to the girl leaving her childhood home with a heavy heart.

Dani looked around as the other passengers on the train gathered their things and off boarded the car. She sighed as she glanced at the seat to her left where all of her possessions sat. Eighteen years of life left her with a guitar in its case, a backpack filled with her personal belongings, and a duffle bag full of clothes.

_Here goes nothing_, she thought, as she carried everything out onto the platform. She stepped outside into the afternoon sun and sighed. _So this is where my life starts_.

Dani smiled as she realized she was one step closer to the dream she's had since she was a kid. One day she'd be selling out shows and belting it out with the best of them. There was a certain bounce in her step as she walked down the sidewalk, even though to every other New Yorker on the street she looked both ridiculous and homeless carrying all of her things. She spotted a motel on the corner of an intersection that didn't seem as hectic as the rest of the city did.

_Totally not sketchy_, she mused. _But it'll have to do_. She held her head high as she walked into the front office. Dani was nothing if not confident.

"Hi," she smiles at the young man at the desk. "I'd like a room please." She added a wink for emphasis and the man gave her a goofy smile in return. _Boys are so easy_.

After settling into her room, her stomach growled to remind her that she hadn't eaten in hours. She walked from the bed to the window and pulled the dusty curtains apart. On the opposite corner of the street she spotted a diner with a help wanted sign in the window.

_The Spotlight Diner, huh? Perfect_.

Dani looked into the mirror as she pulled her brown hair into a messy ponytail. She frowned. She'll have to do something about that later.

* * *

For three years I would walk the five blocks from my apartment to the Spotlight, barely scraping up enough tips to even pay for my necessities. I'd watch as starry-eyed dreamers made their ways here, just as eager as I had been in the beginning, only to find frustration and tears in failure and rejection. After only eight months of being at the Spotlight, I had already lost count of the fools who quit and left before they even started. But I guess I was persistent.

* * *

"Another new guy?" Dani asked one of the cooks as she ran a hand through her now blonde hair. A tall, lanky young man with long hair stood next to the diner's manager, Gunther, with a clueless look on his face.

"Yep," John, she remembers his name is, replied. "Third one this month." Dani crossed her arms and let out a small chuckle.

"How long so you think this one will last?"

"I give him two weeks," John answered as he handed Dani a five dollar bill. "This one looks like a crier."

Dani just give him a loud laugh in return as she headed into the break room to get everyone else's bets in. It had been a tradition at the diner since before Dani had started working there. Every new employee was usually a small town kid with big city dreams, hoping to get their shot at stardom. And just about every one of them would quit after a few weeks of constant rejection from fame.

When she finished gathering the other employees' bets, she dropped them into a nameless tip jar that sat next to a jar with Dani's name and daily tips in it. Marge, one of the older waitresses, walked up to Dani with crossed arms and stared at the shelf.

"You know, Dani," she began. "We had a jar up here for you too."

"I'm not surprised," Dani smiled amusedly. Marge rested one of her arms on the shorter girl's shoulder. "How long did you think I'd be here for, Margie?"

"Two days," the woman replied honestly. Dani giggled. "John actually bet six months. 'She's a fighter,' he said. And, well, it's been about eight months now."

Marge walked across the break room and pulled a jar out of a cabinet. She walked back to Dani and placed it on the table in front of them.

"The rest of us didn't think you could do it, so most of us put twenty bucks or more in here. We thought it'd be easy money." Dani's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's insane!" she marveled. "There's got to be almost three hundred dollars in there."

"Well, we've been adding to it every time you'd prove us wrong," Marge chuckled. "It's yours, kid. You've earned it."

"Are you serious? Thank you so much, oh my gosh." Dani laughed as tears began forming in her eyes. Marge pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks for proving us wrong, Dani. You're a good girl."

Marge walked out of the break room, leaving Dani speechless with both her tip jar and the bet jar the staff had reserved for her. A giant smile was plastered on her face as she clocked out and walked back into the busy diner. She just laughed as she watched a girl, who had started just the week before, cry and yell that she quit.

Dani basically skipped the entire five blocks back to her apartment.

* * *

I couldn't understand it; neither could the rest of the staff who made their livings here without chasing some stupid dream. But I stayed and I worked and I slaved. Some nights I would get lucky and land a gig or find an open mic night and just go for it. The feeling of performing was so exhilarating and I didn't mind the fact that the next morning I'd be bussing tables for ungrateful customers. I thought that I was happy.

* * *

Dani stood atop the bar stage with her guitar strapped to her back as she talked to the band about to accompany her.

"So for the last song, it's basically A-B-A-B-C-B B in F sharp. It's all in four-four, except for section C. It'll go into a six-eight in half time, like this."

She pulled the guitar from behind her and gave them a quick demonstration.

"Got it?" The guys nodded in understanding. Dani beamed. She had finally turned twenty-one and could legally play in bars. The cute bartender Dani had flirted with earlier in the night walked over with a tray of shots for each of them, flashing a dazzling smile to Dani. Dani smirked. She'd have to get her number later, she noted as they all downed their shots.

"All right, let's do this!"

The lights of the bar dimmed as the spotlight was pointed toward the middle of the stage. The show manager walked into the spotlight with a microphone and placed it on the microphone stand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced. "Please welcome back, Dani Torres."

The roar of applause from the audience sent Dani into an adrenaline rush as she walked up to the mic. She turned and gave a nod to the band.

"One, two, a-one two three four!"

Dani had put on her entire rock star persona complete with a thousand watt smile and radiated confidence. Each beat of the kick drum added power to her strum and the crowd cheered louder than she had expected. Her voice echoed from the speakers into the crowded room where the audience was packed tightly in front of the stage.

_This is amazing_.

She could feel the eyes of every single person in the building watching her. To Dani, it was the greatest feeling in the world. With every lyric she let her emotions pour out and she felt a connection with every last person in the room.

As the song came to a close, Dani belted out the last few lines of the chorus, bringing cheers and applause to her ears.

Even after the spotlight dimmed and she walked off the stage, her heart was still beating as fast as ever. People from the audience fought their way towards her to congratulate her and shake her hand.

"Thank you guys so much," she replied to a young couple who were two of the last to leave the bar as it was closing. She sat on the edge of the stage, basking in the glory and feeling of a performance after-high.

"Great job tonight, guys," she congratulated the band who were busy packing up their gear. She shook hands with each of them. "I hope I can play with you guys again soon."

She sighed happily as she noticed the bar manager walking towards her with an outstretched hand.

"I really enjoyed your set tonight, kid." Dani took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "You're welcome back anytime."

"That means a lot to me, thank you," she beamed. As he walked away, her eyes met the eyes of the cute bartender. Dani smirked and winked at her. After all, Dani Torres is nothing if not confident.

* * *

I remember the day you first walked in, confident and demanding and take no prisoners. I liked that in a girl. Apparently Gunther did too because he hired you on the spot. I wondered if you were just like the rest of them. I wondered how long you'd stay.

* * *

Dani watched from the door frame of the break room as she heard the unmistakable ring of the bell tied to the diner's front entrance. Her breath caught in her throat as a beautiful girl walked in with enough confidence in her posture to rival Dani's own.

"Hey bimbo!" the girl barked at a red-headed new hire Dani hadn't taken the time to learn the name of. "Where's your manager at?"

The red head scurried off to find Gunther and Dani found herself intrigued by this mystery girl. John look up from the table in the break room and glanced first at the girl then at Dani.

"Keep it in your pants, girl!" he called out. Dani turned towards him to roll her eyes and stick her tongue out at him. When she turned back around, the girl stood near the counter speaking with Gunther.

"I work at the Coyote Ugly as a bartender already, so obviously I don't need this, but you look like you need help. So I'm here out of the goodness of my heart and I'm happy to offer my services." Dani could hear the sarcasm dripping from mystery girl's voice as she faux-curtsied with a smug look on her face. Dani smiled.

_This is getting interesting_.

"And if you decline," the girl continued, "you'll be missing out on the best thing Lima Heights has to offer." She ended her spiel and tilted her head to the side, hand on her hip, and eyes narrowed at Gunther.

Dani bit her lip as her grin grew wider.

_Oh, this is **definitely** getting more interesting._

John walked over to her and leaned on the opposite side of the door frame, a grimace filled with disgust on his face. The pair watched as Gunther enthusiastically shook the girl's hand and gave her a uniform and apron.

"Old perv," John muttered, shaking his head before turning towards Dani. "How long do you think this one will stay for?"

Dani didn't hear him, too busy to pay attention as she stared at mystery girl's ass while she walked out of the diner. John sighed in exasperation and walked back into the break room. Dani took no notice.

"I wonder how long she'll last," she thought aloud.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed part one!**

**I've already finished writing part two, I just need to find time to beta and post it.**

**Until then, bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I totally forgot about this story. I found this in my Google docs the other day. Maybe if I feel inspired enough I'll write an ending to this. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

A week passed and you brought a friend in with you. I thought you two were best friends who left everything for a shot at the big time. Boy, was I mistaken. But the first time our eyes really met something happened. Rachel took it upon herself that day to get to know my life story. Maybe you two weren't best friends, but I'd be wrong to say that she didn't care about you.

* * *

Dani paused the scribbling of her pen and looked up from the chicken scratch on her notepad to find her eyes locked with Santana's. The other girl quickly looked back down at the salt shaker she had in her hands. Dani smiled.

_Gotcha._

She paid no attention to the customer in front of her as she watched Rachel throw her hands up in irritation and ramble on about something Dani couldn't hear. She stared at Santana's obvious and overly animated eye roll, the annoyance in her body language as apparent as the hair on her head.

This happened way too often, watching Santana and Rachel interact. The only thing she knew about the two girls was that they always walked in together and could barely hold a conversation without bickering in some way.

Dani still stared, lost in her thoughts, only brought back to attention when she felt Rachel's eyes meet hers as the girl hugged Santana. It was only then that Dani looked away from the pair and back to her customer, completely embarrassed that she had been caught staring.

"Excuse me, I asked for a refill on my coffee five minutes ago," she heard another customer say. She turned and nodded to them before briskly walking towards the kitchen. Unbeknownst to Dani, Rachel had taken it upon herself to follow the blonde haired girl into the back.

"Well, hello Dani!" Rachel chirped happily. Startled by the sound of Rachel's voice, Dani jumped and turned around with her hand clutched over her heart.

"Oh my god, Rachel, please don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack! My heart is racing..." Rachel giggled and looked at Dani knowingly, her eyebrow arched upwards.

"Sorry, but are you sure that's from me showing up unannounced?" she teased. Dani made a face, clearly confused.

"Um, what..."

"You know, I've always been a bit psychic," Rachel said excitedly. "I feel like my sixth sense has only gotten stronger since coming to New York, and I definitely feel a certain vibe on your aura!"

"Uh, I really don't know what you're talking about?" Dani replied slowly, getting more confused with each passing second. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't know much about Rachel.

"You're not very subtle, Dani. I always catch you staring, you might as well just ask!" Dani still looked confused.

"No offense, Rachel, but, uh, you're not really my type, if you're telling me to ask you out on a date."

Rachel's grin faltered and panic struck her eyes.

"Wait! No, I-"

Dani laughed.

"Relax, I was kidding. But you are right, I have been staring a lot recently." She scratched the back of her neck as she looked everywhere but into Rachel's eyes. "I, uh, um. I think Santana is really pretty."

Rachel squealed and clapped her hands together.

"I knew it!" Dani's face scrunched up in confusion, not understanding Rachel's enthusiastic response. "Oh this is _perfect_! Come, come! Let's chat."

Dani's mouth hung open, about to protest, only to be silenced by Rachel's babbling as she pulled Dani into the back room to be interrogated.

* * *

I'll never forget our first real conversation. It was the first time we had said anything more than pleasantries to each other. You were so flustered and nervous. It was adorable.

* * *

"The, uh, s-salt...salt shakers…" Dani smirked as Santana nervously stood and ran to the other side of the diner.

She watched curiously as Rachel ambushed the flustered girl. Santana turned back towards her, causing Dani to grin smugly and wave her fingers in greeting. She could practically see the panic in Santana's eyes as she turned back to face Rachel.

Dani continued to pump ketchup into the bottles, trying hard not to eavesdrop on her coworkers' conversation. Even if she already knew they were talking about her.

Ever since she and Rachel had their talk, the Broadway baby had been not so subtly nudging Santana into talking to Dani. Dani thought it was adorable how Santana didn't know how to act around her. Although she would never admit it, Dani was always super nervous around Santana as well. But even with the butterflies in her stomach Dani was still as confident as ever.

She looked back at the pair and noticed that Santana was turning around to walk back to the table. She sat down across from Dani, only to find that the blonde had an amused look on her face.

"W-what? Do I have something on face?" Santana brought her hands to her face, looking around frantically for whatever it was Dani was laughing at.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Dani asked through her giggles.

Santana looked down at her hands, not understanding what she could have forgotten. Dani laughed harder. It made Santana blush.

"The salt shakers?" Dani smiled so wide that her dimples showed. Santana almost melted.

"Oh god," Santana face palmed. "I forgot, Rachel so rudely distracted me and I totally spaced out. Sorry."

"It's cool," the blonde laughed. "Someone else can do it later."

She smirked and stood up to walk around the table, extending her hand towards Santana.

"Come on. Let's go."

Santana squinted and eyed the other girl curiously.

"Go where?"

The way Dani beamed made it seem like this was exactly the response she was hoping for.

"Everywhere."

* * *

You were the first thing I let myself focus on besides work and music in a long time. Before I met you, I almost forgot what that felt like. Your friends became our friends and I almost forgot what that felt like also. Having friends, I mean. I was so worried about having my own back that I never let anyone in. But something inside of me made me feel like you guys were different. Being in a band with all of you and meeting Elliot was such a blessing. Finally, I had thought, one step closer to my dream. And it was comforting to know that we were all in it together. It made me feel like I had finally found something to replace the family I had lost so many years ago

* * *

The sun shone through the window curtain, waking Dani from a peaceful sleep. She yawned and stretched as she looked around at her surroundings.

_What happened last night?_

She noticed she was still in Santana's apartment. She looked down.

_Oh._

She noticed she was still in Santana's apartment, _naked_.

She was pretty sure Santana also fell asleep naked in this bed. She sat up, feeling a slight hangover from whatever they had done the previous night. Dani smiled as she remembered tumbling into bed with Santana, the sounds of drunk giggles filling the room as they stripped each other out of their clothes. She gripped the sheets around her tighter and brought them up to her face, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Santana.

She heard voices talking from the kitchen and footsteps walking on the other side of the curtain. Speak of the devil, Santana sauntered into the room, head turned over her shoulder to laugh at something that sounded like Kurt making a snarky comment before closing the loft door. When she turned toward the bed, Dani couldn't help but notice how cute Santana looked in only an oversized tee shirt and her underwear, her morning-after hair casually hand brushed over one side of her head. It made Dani want to jump her bones.

"Morning, babe," Santana greeted after she got into bed and gave Dani a peck on the lips.

Dani just grinned in response as she pulled Santana down and rolled them over so that she was straddled over the brunette's hips.

"Morning," she chirped back happily and captured Santana's lips with her own. They stayed in bed a while, exchanging kisses and giggles and light touches on soft skin. Playful whispers into each other's hair turned into tickle fights and making silly faces at the other. Before they knew it, morning turned into late afternoon and Kurt and Rachel had already returned from whatever it was they had done.

"Rise and shine, ladies! We come bearing gifts," Kurt bellowed with a bow as he set a paper bag down on the kitchen table.

"Also, both of you better have clothes on when you walk out here this time," Rachel added.

They both rolled their eyes as laughter streamed from beyond the curtains and the sounds of shuffling indicated that the two were at least trying to be decent.

"If you got it, flaunt it, Berry," Santana said as she and Dani walk out of the room hand in hand.

"Besides, Rachel, you were too busy staring at my butt last time to even form a coherent sentence," Dani joined cheekily. Rachel made an offended face before helping Kurt empty the bags.

"Now that you two are done being naked-"

"Never done with that, Lady Hummel," Santana winked at Dani who blushed and stuck her tongue out with a smile.

"First, ew. Second, gross. Anyway, we have alcohol and finger foods for a rooftop sunset watching. I was hoping Dani could bring up her guitar and we can invite Elliot for a 'welcome to the band' hang out," Kurt explained.

"Sounds fun!" Dani answered with a smile. "I'm game."

Just as the four were about to walk out of the loft, Elliot arrived and joined them on the way to the roof. By the time the sun had finished setting, the group was already completely drunk and sprawled out over the blankets they had taken the time to set up on the ground. Dani clutched her sides as she laughed at Rachel and Kurt's rendition of a drunken 'Dark Horse' by Katy Perry, featuring Elliot on Juicy J's verse.

She looked to her right and smiled at Santana as she brought their intertwined hands up to kiss the darker girl's knuckles. Santana smiled back in response and placed her head on Dani's chest as they looked up at the night sky.

* * *

I thought that I was happy before I met you, but damn, if that was happy then, I must have been ecstatic these past few months. Our relationship was easy. I felt so close to you in such a short amount of time. It felt like things were too good to be true.

* * *

"...Blue."

Dani beamed.

"Do you love it!?" Santana looked on with an incredulous look on her face

"It's really blue. Like, _blue_ blue." Dani's grin faltered.

"Well, yeah that was sorta the point." The last traces of her smile were gone and replaced with a frown as she continued to watch the unchanging expression on Santana's face. "Do you...not like it?"

The upset and confused tone in Dani's voice caused Santana to snap out of her daze. She stood up from her seat on the couch and bee lined straight to her girlfriend to wrap the shorter girl in an embrace.

"It's just...like, super blue," she tried to explain as her eyebrows knit in confusion from seeing the newly colored hair up close. Dani looked up at Santana. "Is it supposed to be like smurf blue? 'Cause I'm not sure that I'm freaky enough to be super Gargamel obsessed with it..." Dani glared weakly as she tried to process what the other girl was saying.

"First of all, I'm surprised you even know the name of the villain from The Smurfs-" Santana cut her off with an offended look on her face.

"Hey, it was a popular cartoon." Dani just rolled her eyes in response.

"...Whatever. Second, I can't believe you don't like it! I think it's awesome!" Santana sighed as she pulled Dani onto her living room sofa.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it's super blue." They positioned themselves on the couch so that Santana was sitting up with Dani's head in her lap. She ran her fingers through Dani's new hair to inspect it closer.

"As you've made it clear already," Dani replied sarcastically. Now it was Santana's turn to roll her eyes.

"Don't get sassy with me, young lady-"

"I'm older than you!" Dani cried with indignation. Santana just put a finger over Dani's lips with a pointed look.

"Shush, babe, I'm speaking now." Dani huffed. "Anyways, the blue is cool. Even if it does look like you had an accident in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. I think I'm just wondering why?"

Dani shrugged and twirled some of her hair around her finger.

"I dunno actually. I kinda always change it when something big happens in my life. And for some reason it always happens to turn into my favorite color at the time." When she looked up at Santana, the girl had a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips. It made Dani laugh. "What? You're looking at me the same way Rachel looks at bedazzled microphones."

Santana's smile just grew wider. She shook her head.

"You're ridiculous. And adorable. So what's this big change that happened in your life then?" she asked.

"You, for starters," Dani answered with a chuckle. She laced her fingers with Santana's. "Our friends, our band. It's all so new and exciting. Change isn't always bad, so I wanted to be spontaneous and make a change also."

Santana bit her lip and gave Dani a look full of adoration. Dani just grinned back up at her.

"That's actually pretty cool, babe," Santana replied softly. Dani cutely scrunched up her face and leaned up to press her lips to Santana's in a chaste kiss. "So should I be expecting this often then?"

Dani looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Actually, you probably should. I've changed it at least six times in the last three years that I've been in New York." Santana's eyes widened.

"Are you for real? How is your hair still connected to your head?" she laughed.

"Shut up," Dani giggled as she swatted the other girl's arm. "My favorite color changes a lot."

"Well how about my favorite color next then? I think you'd look hot in red," Santana suggested with a smirk.

"I rocked red for a while," Dani started but then pulled a face. "After a while I started to feel like Ariel from The Little Mermaid."

Santana chuckled softly and repositioned them so that they were both laying down on the couch. She draped her arm over Dani's midsection and laid her head on Dani's chest.

"I'm sure you were a gorgeous mermaid," she said and cuddled into the Dani's side. Dani just smiled and pressed her lips against her girlfriend's hair.

* * *

If only I knew how right I was. Somehow a stupid fight broke out between you and Rachel and everyone suffered because of it. When Kurt and Elliot came to me with the idea of kicking you guys out, I was completely against it. You were my girlfriend and Rachel was my friend. The five of us were supposed to make it together. But I had to let my pride go and do what was best for the band. I know it hurt you, and I'm sorry for that, but with success already on its way for you and Rachel, Pamela Lansbury didn't stand a chance.

* * *

"It's the only way, Dani." She frowned.

"I don't know guys. They're just as big a part of this band as the rest of us. I don't think it's fair to hold this meeting without them." Kurt scoffed and threw his hands into the air while Elliot huffed and rested his chin on Dani's dining table.

"Santana and Rachel can't even be in the same room without one of them threatening to kill the other," Kurt explained. "If they were here, they'd try to kill us too!"

Dani's frown widened.

"I'm sure that's not true, Santana wouldn't lay a finger on me."

"Of course she wouldn't. But she probably would use a fist or two on one of us," Elliot said. "And Rachel has been more overbearing than usual."

"Alright, alright," Dani sighed. "So what are we going to do about it?"

Kurt and Elliot shared a look.

"We think," Elliot began slowly, "that we should start a new band. Without Rachel and Santana."

Dani looked between the two men with her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. Kurt let out an exasperated breath.

"Dani, you know it's nothing personal against them. Santana and Rachel are like my family. I love them to death but they're both being extremely idiotic about this whole situation," Kurt joined. "Besides, they've been so busy with work and Funny Girl that we can't even have band practice!"

Dani bit her lip. It was true, the two girls couldn't stand to be in the same room together and with their busy schedules Dani barely saw either of them. She would only really see her girlfriend if they happened to work the same shift or the nights when they would go straight home to one of their apartments and sleep. She sighed again and dropped her head defeatedly.

"I guess you guys are right," she mumbled. She changed her position so that she was lying down on the couch faced towards the ceiling. She felt sick. Kurt took a seat next to her on the couch and laid a comforting hand on her leg.

"We know you feel horrible about this. Elliot and I do also. But we can't just sit around and wait for them to resolve this out. We have dreams too."

She looked at him with a sad smile. He returned it and gave her leg a squeeze before standing up and giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"We'll let you get some rest," Elliot said as he walked over and kissed her forehead as well. He gave Kurt a look and motioned towards the door. He nodded back.

"Bye, Dani."

"Later, Dan."

"Bye, guys."

Dani stayed on the couch for hours, lost in her thoughts and staring at the ceiling. She didn't even notice the sun setting and the room getting darker until she heard a knock on the door.

"It's open," she called out.

Her voice, hoarse from not being used for many hours, echoed in her empty apartment. She heard the door creak open and heels clicking on the floor, then the jingle of keys being set on the table. Suddenly the lights flickered on and Dani had to shield her eyes from the brightness. When she moved her arm back down she saw Santana sitting down on the love seat opposite the couch with her arms and legs crossed, looking anywhere but at Dani. Dani just stared back up at the ceiling.

"Hi."

"Humph."

_Ouch. I deserved it though._

"Okay."

Dani closed her eyes. She could feel the guilt chipping away at her with each passing second, more so now that Santana was in the room. Part of her knew she owed Santana an apology, or at least an explanation, but Dani was proud. Everyone else called it stubbornness, but she disagrees. Nonetheless, she felt that Santana and Rachel let this feud between them go on for too long, and Kurt and Elliot were definitely right. The three of them shouldn't put their own dreams aside if they didn't have to.

She lazily turned her head towards her girlfriend, squinting her eyes in confusion. Santana was staring intently at Dani, her eyebrows knit together with irritation. They locked eyes for a while, both too stubborn to be the first to end the silence. Finally, Dani decided to speak up.

"Why did you come over if you're just gonna stare at me with pissy eyes and give me the cold shoulder?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. She tried hard to keep her voice even, knowing that one wrong change in her intonation would make herself feel angry or upset.

Santana turned her head before letting out an angry sigh and heading towards Dani's bedroom. Dani let out a deep breath and rolled off the couch to follow. She walked into the bedroom to find Santana undressing for bed, but struggling to unclasp her bra. A smile fought its way to Dani's face. She may be proud, but the adorable things that Santana manages to do on accident are enough to break down her walls.

She walked up behind Santana and placed her hands over Santana's. She felt the other girl tense.

"Here, let me," Dani murmured into Santana's shoulder. After a second, Santana let her arms drop to her sides as Dani easily undid the clasp. She made a move to walk towards the dresser, only to be stopped by Dani's arms wrapping around her waist. She felt Dani's hair and warm breath on her bare back and the shorter girl's fingers toying with her hip bones in a way that was more intimate than provocative.

"Thanks," Santana replied softly.

Dani hummed in response, drawing circles in Santana's skin with her thumb. The comforting and caring gesture caused the taller girl to smile. Santana placed her hands over Dani's and laced their fingers together to lead Dani onto the bed.

She undressed herself before joining Santana under the covers. They lied down facing each other, and Dani could finally see the hurt in Santana's expression.

"Why?"

It came out sounding more like a whimper than a question, and Santana mentally chastized herself for sounding so pathetic.

"It made sense," Dani answered weakly. She rested her palm on Santana's cheek. "It was the best decision for Kurt, Elliot, and me."

"I don't understand, Dani! How could the three of you make a decision like that without even consulting me or Rachel? Do our opinions not matter to you guys? Are we less important to the band than the rest of you?"

She winced at the sadness she could hear in Santana's voice.

"You two were too busy fighting or working or fighting about work to get anything done," Dani tried to explain. "I just want to sing. You two get to sing and dance and perform on a stage already. The rest of us have dreams too, you know?"

Santana sighed.

"Please, you know this is all I've ever wanted. I'm supporting you by letting you have the time and freedom to pursue Broadway if that's what you really want. We've barely seen each other these past few weeks. Please support me in this, so I get the chance to pursue what I want," Dani pleaded.

Santana was silent, stunned at the realization that she and Rachel were both being selfish and it was hurting their friends in a way that it shouldn't. She closed her eyes and turned away from Dani, who immediately placed her arm around Santana's waist and cuddled in closer to her.

"I'm sorry," Santana whispered.

"I'm sorry, too, babe."

Dani grabbed Santana's hand and intertwined their fingers, placing a kiss on the other girl's bare shoulder. She knew Santana was still upset, but didn't know what else she could do. They both had said their piece, and Dani hoped it was enough to get Santana to forgive her.

After a beat, Santana spoke again, so quietly that Dani almost missed it.

"So when's your first show?"

Dani smiled.

* * *

On the plus side, One Three Hill was a hit. And a big one, at that. Things were back on track for my dream. But I didn't know that we were about to get off track.

Kurt called me. I hadn't heard from you in a week.

* * *

"Uh, no, Dani, you're not picking our outfits," Elliot said with a grimace.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Dani called out from the couch she was lying on.

The two band mates were in Elliot's apartment where they were discussing the details of their next show. Elliot moved from the kitchen to the living room with two plates of food in his hand. He handed one to Dani as he took a seat next to her.

"I'm just saying, your wardrobe mostly consists of leather and I'm not trying to look like a dominatrix on stage."

Dani raised an eyebrow.

"Says the guy who owns more sparkly outfits than the wardrobe department for the movie Dreamgirls," Dani scoffed. She took a bite of her food before continuing. "And Kurt is just as bad. I'm pretty sure most of his pants are tighter than mine."

Elliot laughed.

"Speak of the devil," Dani said, picking up her ringing phone. "Kurt's calling. Weird. He usually only texts me. Maybe he has some good news."

"Put him on speaker!" Elliot exclaimed.

"Hey, Kurt! What's up, how's Lima?" Dani answered the phone with a smile.

"Hey…" She heard shuffling from the other line and frowned.

"Dude, why does it sound like you're calling me from a closet?" she asked.

"Yeah," Elliot chimed in. "I thought you quit hanging out in those a while ago."

Dani giggled.

"Right, well. Hi, Elliot," Kurt mumbled. "Dani do you mind taking me off speaker? I have to talk to you privately."

She glanced at Elliot who shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to obey Kurt's request.

"Uh, sure."

Suddenly Dani was worried. Kurt usually never sounded so serious whenever they spoke. She didn't know what to expect. Had something happened to Santana? Was she okay? So many thoughts raced through her mind as she stepped into her bedroom and turned the speaker off on her phone.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

She heard Kurt sigh. It made her stomach clench with anxiety.

"I...I don't even know if I should be telling you this," he began hesitantly. "But as your friend I feel obligated to. I just..."

Dani's heart rate sped up.

"Kurt, please," she begged. "Just tell me, you're scaring me. Is it about Santana? Is she okay? Did something happen to her?"

"You're not gonna like this."

There was a pause. When Dani didn't respond, Kurt sighed again.

"I saw Brittany kissing Santana yesterday."

Dani felt like her heart dropped to her stomach. Tears began forming in her eyes.

"I...W-what?" Her voice shook. "T-t-there's got to be some mistake right? Come on, Kurt, don't fuck with me."

"I'm sorry." It came out sincerely, and Dani knew he wasn't playing around. "I saw Santana stop her, but a few minutes ago I overheard them talking about a trip to Hawaii or Lesbos or something, I don't know. But I am so, _so_ sorry, Dani."

She gulped as the tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

She nodded fervently until she remembered that Kurt couldn't see her. She wiped her eyes before answering.

"Thank you, for letting me know. And I'll call you if I need anything." Her voice was still shaking. "I-I have to go."

"Bye, Dani," Kurt said sadly. All he heard in return was a click and a dial tone.

Dani sat on her bed, tears still streaming down her face. She couldn't breathe. How could Santana do this to her?

"Dani?"

She heard a knock on the door before Elliot poked his head into the room. His eyes landed on her face and he gave her a sad expression. He walked over to sit on the bed next to her and placed a comforting arm around Dani's shoulders. She just cried harder and buried her face into Elliot's chest.

"What happened?" he asked softly. By the look of things, he could guess it had something to do with their former band mate.

Dani sniffled before answering.

"Santana cheated on me with her ex."

Elliot gasped.

"Oh, babe. Come here." He pulled her in closer and let her cry. He lied her down on the bed and held her close until she finally fell asleep, exhausted from crying.

* * *

I guess I fell in way too deep. I should have known better, right? I thought things were different with us, with you. But you're just another starry-eyed dreamer who quit before she started. I at least hoped for a proper break up before you left for some vacation you don't even really need or can afford, but you've been home for at least two days and haven't even texted me. It's been three years, but I know now that I'm still the only one who has my back. Elliot and I played a gig a few days ago, which you would've known about if you remembered that you have, had a girlfriend. A producer came up to me after the show and gave me his card. I leave for LA on Saturday. I'm playing a few songs at the Spotlight on Friday night. Maybe I'm a fool to think you'll say goodbye. So I guess this is it.

(We could have been) love,

Dani


End file.
